


Fallen Angel

by mishhcollins



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Domestic!Castiel, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hurt, Nightmares, Reader Insert, Romance, Sexual Content, Smut, unprotected sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-22 15:00:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7443601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mishhcollins/pseuds/mishhcollins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after 8.23 if the reader had found Castiel instead of April and she helps him get back on his feet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rain

__  


_The angels were falling._

The plan to close the gates of hell hadn’t exactly gone as planned. Sam had been pulled from the trials and was now a crippled mess on the floor outside of the old church where you and the brothers were situated. You and Dean crouched next to him as you watched the meteor-like beings descend from the heavens. But, where was Cas? Was he one of those angels that were plummeting to Earth? Your thoughts had to wander away from the angel – or should you say former angel if he is in the same predicament as every other angel right now – as Sam’s condition worsened right in front of yourself and Dean.

A month or so had passed since the incident with the gates and a lot had happened within that time period. Sam had gone completely comatose and almost didn’t make it, but was now possessed by an angel. You had voiced your opinion at the very instant, not liking the idea at all, however, Dean was adamant that there was no other way. So far the angel in question, who you soon learned to be called Ezekiel, had done everything that he had promised and caused no harm, but you were still unsure of him. Sam obviously had no idea that the angel was healing him from the inside out as you agreed when Dean told you that you couldn’t say anything. It frustrated you how much these brothers would keep from each other all the time, but you had given up trying to resolve that issue long ago and let them fight it out between themselves. You had also learnt that Cas was indeed fully human and was in the process of making his way to the bunker. You felt bad for Cas and hoped that he would find his way home soon as it must be jarring for the former-angel to suddenly be thrown into mortality with no-one around to help.  
  
You were currently in Detroit and following a case by yourself. It wasn’t like you lived with anyone, plus the case was a simple salt n’ burn. Nothing you couldn’t handle. You actually didn’t live too far out from where the boys were situated in the bunker and you all hunted together more than frequently, but you could take care of yourself and if you knew you would need help then you would let them know. You also had both of their contacts on speed dial just in case you did get into a sticky situation. You had your own little house, which surprisingly was safer than originally thought. You had sigils over every wall and under every carpet in your house to stop anything getting in. The ones drawn on the wall were in some sort of UV paint as they were invisible, but still served their purpose.

You were on your way back from the case when it had started to rain. Hard. Pulling the hood of your jacket tightly over your head and crossing your arms over your chest, you hurriedly walked down the street to get to your motel. The rain didn’t let up either and seemed to actually get heavier as you walked.  
“God dammit.” You cursed under your breath as you wound your arms around yourself a little tighter in the hopes to stay somewhat dry, but your efforts were futile. Anyone glancing out from their windows must think you’re crazy being out in this weather. You made your way down the street, the thought of getting back to the motel and into a nice hot shower was your motivation to walk faster, when you happened past an alleyway. You shot a glance down there when you noticed a man, crouched under a small alcove, trying to stay dry, but the small ledge above him didn’t grant him as much. You were about to walk past, when your conscious got the better of you and you stopped, turning back towards the alley to possibly offer the man your jacket, when your eyes locked for a brief moment. You knew him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry I’ve been gone so long; I’ve been struggling with getting the motivation to finish some old fics. This has been a WIP for quite a few months now, but I finally got it finished (sorta) *happy sigh*  
> I hope you enjoy!!
> 
> p.s. don't worry, future chapters will be longer than this. the chapters will be posted somewhat regularly, either weekly or spaced out between days :)


	2. Nightmare

“Cas?” You asked into the darkness, his figure slightly illuminated by the few streetlights. It took a minute for Cas to register who was talking to him, but when he did, his eyes widened and a smile of relief spanned across his face.  
“(y/n).” He breathed out as he stood. You almost tackled him to the floor as you ran towards him, hugging him tightly. You didn’t care that your hood had fallen down and you were getting even more drenched. Cas hesitated briefly, taken aback by the sudden affection before he returned the hug. You pulled away quickly and studied his features.  
“What are you doing out here in the rain?” You asked.  
“I have nowhere else.” He looked slightly crest-fallen, avoiding your gaze as if embarrassed.  
“Oh, Cas,” you sighed sadly, “c’mon, come with me.” You started walking, beckoning for him to follow.  
“Where are we going?”  
“I’m not letting you sit out here in the rain,” you linked your arm with his as the two of you began walking down the street, continuing your path, “are you still trying to make your way to the bunker?”  
“Yes, but I appear to have run out of money to get a bus.”  
“Sam and Dean are going to be so happy to know you’re okay. I’m going to call Dean and let him know when we get to the motel. I’m guessing you don’t have any spare clothes either.”  
“No, these are all I have.” He motioned to the clothes that clung to his body from the rain.  
You thought for a minute before quickly dragging him into the nearest shop, which was surprisingly still open at this time of night. You briskly picked up a couple of t-shirts, some jeans, some sweatpants, a couple pair of boxers, some socks, and a pair of shoes. You tucked the bag of clothes under your jacket as best you could in the hopes that it would keep the new clothes dry. Luckily, the motel was only a short ways away as the two of you were there in the space of 10 minutes. You unlocked the door, your fingers shaking lightly from the cold of the rain, before you swung it open, walking through and allowing Cas to come in afterwards.  
“Okay, Cas, you can take the first shower.” You nosed through the new bag of clothes, grabbing out the sweatpants, a pair of socks, some boxers, and a t-shirt, before heading to the bathroom. You placed the clothes on the counter in the bathroom and also laid out a fresh towel for him before turning the shower on for him.  
“Thank you, (y/n).” Cas spoke gently as he stood in the doorway of the bathroom.  
“Don’t mention it.” You gave him a shy smile, to which he reciprocated, before you moved away, allowing him to shut the door behind him and have his shower. In the meantime, you wiped away the raindrops from your face and the bits of hair that had stuck to your cheeks, reaching into your coat pocket for your phone. It had, by some miracle, stayed dry as you sorted through your contacts until Dean’s name showed and you clicked the ‘call’ button.  
“(y/n)? Everything alright?” Dean’s gruff voice sounded on the other end after a couple of rings. Typical Dean Winchester to immediately think that something is wrong, although you don’t blame him for his worry as you were on a hunt on your own.  
“Yeah, Dean, everything’s fine. Just finished up the hunt today, should be heading back tomorrow morning, but won’t arrive till late or even the next morning.”  
“Good, glad you’re alright. Is that all you called for?”  
“No, actually, I have some pretty big news.”  
“Alright, shoot.”  
You took a deep sigh, “I found Cas.”  
“You found Cas?! What-where was he?”  
“He was here in Detroit. Pure chance that I saw him actually.”  
“How is he?”  
“He needs help, Dean. I found him in an alley at this time of night in the pouring rain. He just looks so lost.”  
“Was he still trying to get to the bunker?”  
“He said he was trying but he ran out of money to get the bus.”  
“Poor guy. Glad you found him when you did.”  
“Yeah, me too. He needs to come home.”  
“Yeah he does,” Dean let out a sigh of relief. Knowing that Cas was okay was a big weight off of his shoulders, and also knowing that he was coming home was even better, “you’re gonna be stayin’ for a while, right?”  
“If that’s what you want, Dean-o.”  
“Yeah, we’d like you to come by.”  
“Alright, well, I’ll call some time tomorrow morning when we’re on our way. I’m hoping to set off around 8am so we should get to the bunker for just after 11pm if the traffic is good and if I’m not too tired, otherwise I’ll get there the next morning.”  
“Okay, let me know and I’ll save some dinner in the fridge for you.”  
“Save some for Cas too.”  
“Right, I forgot he has to eat now too.”  
“See you tomorrow.”  
“Alright, see ya, kiddo.”  
The shower turned off a few minutes after your phone call with Dean had ended. You got your pyjamas ready and a towel for when Cas gets out of the bathroom. You were starting to shiver from the damp clothes that clung to your body as you paced around the small room. Shortly after, the bathroom door opened and Cas emerged with damp hair and wearing the clothes you had left for him, a small cloud of steam following him from the open door.  
“Feel better?” You asked as you took your towel and pyjamas, brushing past Cas to stand in the bathroom doorway.  
“Much, thank you.”  
“Don’t worry about it, Cas,” you turned to go into the bathroom but a thought quickly turned you back around to face the former angel, “oh, also, there is only one bed as it was just me in here, but you’re welcome to share it. If not then there is the sofa, but I wouldn’t advice it; it’s all musty and gross.”  
Cas gave you a small nod as a shy smile played on his lips. You returned the smile before turning once more into the bathroom and closing the door behind you. You quickly stripped of your cold, damp clothes, dropping them to the floor before turning on the shower and getting under. The steady stream of water warmed your chilled skin as you quickly washed your body and your hair. Your shower was short lived as you soon turned off the shower once more and towelled yourself dry. You put on your pyjamas, which consisted of a simple tank top and some shorts, before you towel dried your hair slightly, leaving it a little damp still. You hung up your wet towel before stepping out of the bathroom. You looked to the bed to see that Cas wasn’t there, and instead was stood by the motel window, fiddling with his fingers.  
“You okay, Cas?” You asked, taking your damp clothes and putting them into a plastic bag along with Cas’.  
“Yes.”  
“C’mon,” you climbed into the bed, moving the duvet slightly out of the way on the space next to you and tapping it lightly, “we have to get up early - we should get some sleep.”  
Cas turned from the window, drawing the curtains before he slowly shuffled over to the bed and climbing in next to you. Once he was settled, you turned off the light on the bedside table before snuggling under the covers.  
“Night, Cas.”  
“Goodnight, (y/n).”  
The hunt had exhausted you and it wasn’t long before you drifted off. Cas looked over to your sleeping form, the slow rise and fall of your chest and your steady breaths. Since he had become human, sleeping was a major thing that he has had to adapt to, and he still was adapting. He found himself tired at odd parts of the day and wide awake when he actually needed to be tired. Tonight was a night where it took him a little longer to fall asleep, but he always tried to remember the advice a nice homeless man had given him, which was to try and count sheep, although he still never understood what sheep he was supposed to be counting.  
  
You were pulled awake as you felt the bed jerking slightly next to you. You rubbed your eyes groggily, turning to see what on earth was going on. You looked to your side and saw that Cas had his back to you, but he kept twitching in his sleep and mumbling. You thought nothing of it at first, but then the mumbling seemed to get more panicked and turned more into whimpers. You turned on the bedside lamp as you sat up, leaning over and putting your hand on Cas’ shoulder. He was covered in a thin sheen of sweat as you looked at his face which was scrunched up slightly.  
“Cas? Cas, wake up.” You shook his shoulder lightly and he jumped awake, almost falling off the bed in the process had you not quickly grabbed him.  
“Cas, it’s okay.”  
His eyes darted around briefly before landing on your own.  
“(y/n)?” He breathed.  
“Yeah, Cas, I’m here.” You motioned for him to come to you. He shifted towards you and accepted the warm embrace that you offered, wrapping your arms around him. He sniffled lightly as he clung to your form, trying to hold back tears.  
“It’s okay, Cas, it’s okay. I’m here, it was just a dream.” You cooed as one of your hands soothed down his hair, gently running your fingers through the dark curls.  
“Shh, you’re okay, I’ve got you. Hey, have you ever had pancakes before?” You started, trying to distract him and take his mind off of whatever nightmare he had just had. He simply shook his head a little.  
“How about we make some pancakes when we get back to the bunker? You can help me make them and we can have maybe some Nutella on them, or even some strawberries with the Nutella. Does that sound good?” He nodded against you and you felt his tense muscles begin to relax.  
“I like my pancakes with sugar and lemon so you can try that too and see what you like best. We can also go shopping one day to get you some more of your own clothes and you can pick out whatever you like, how about that?” You felt Cas smile a little as he nodded again. You gently lifted his head from your chest, keeping your hands on the sides of his face. The rims of his eyes were a little bit red as he avoided your gaze. You smiled at him, wiping the pads of your thumbs across his tear-stained cheeks.  
“You wanna try and go back to sleep?” You asked, your hands moving from his face and instead resting on his arms. He gave you a small nod as his eyes met yours briefly.  
“Okay.” You whispered, turning to the side to turn off the lamp once more before resting back. Cas lay back down before he shuffled closer to you, wrapping an arm around your waist and resting his head on your shoulder. It took you by surprise briefly as he clung to you, but you soon put your arms around him also and held him close to you. You waited until you could hear his breath steady out before you also fell asleep; wanting to make sure he was okay first. It felt nice to have him so close and you could feel the warmth of his body through the thin fabric of your clothes and his own. His head nestled into the crook of your neck and you felt his breath against you as you slowly drifted back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as the last chapter was pretty short i'm posting this one quite soon after (งツ)ว


	3. Pancakes

Cas was the first to wake in the morning. He enjoyed sleep the most, but always found himself a little disoriented when he woke up. He grumbled awake, rubbing at his eyes, when he felt you stir. The two of you had shifted in your sleep again, but this time it was Cas who was on his back and you were nestled into his side, your face nuzzled into his neck and one of your legs draped over his own. He took a moment to look at you, one of his hands unconsciously going to run through your hair. He wished that he could spend the rest of his life like this, but the thought of food pulled him from that reverie as his stomach growled loudly. You were already half awake when you heard Cas’ stomach protest and you couldn’t hold back a giggle.   
“I think your stomach wants pancakes.” You laughed as you rolled away from Cas to stretch.   
“Good morning, (y/n).”  
“Morning,” you yawned as you sat up, Castiel watching your movements, “how about those pancakes?”  
His face lit up into a bright smile and sat up next to you. You remembered once more about your clothing situation as you were about to swing your legs out from your bed.   
“Hey, Cas, would you mind just getting my shorts? They’re just on that chair.” You pointed over to a small wooden chair that was situated in front of a desk. He complied, leaving the warmth of the bed to retrieve your shorts for you. He passed them to you and you quickly shoved them on under the covers before jumping out of bed and leaving your room with Cas following behind. You weren’t sure what time it was, but the brothers weren’t up yet as you both walked through the bunker and into the kitchen. Cas stood next to one of the counters as you began gathering the necessary ingredients. You measured out the right amount of flour before sifting it into a mixing bowl, cracking two eggs to add to the flour as well as some milk.  
“Alright, Cas,” you pushed the bowl towards him along with a whisk, “can you mix that until its smooth and has no lumps?”  
He smiled and nodded at you before taking the bowl and whisk and getting to work. You watched Cas work and you couldn’t help but smile as his tongue was stuck out slightly in concentration. Half an hour later and the first pancake was being served to Cas.  
“What would you like on your pancake?” You asked as you plated it up for him.  
“What is your favourite?”  
“Sugar and lemon juice.”  
“I would like to try that first.”  
“As you wish.” You sprinkled some sugar onto the pancake before lacing it with lemon juice and handing it to Cas.  
“Bon appetite.” You laughed before moving over to the stove once more to make yourself one. A groan of appreciation emanated from the man behind you as he tasted the first forkful.  
“You like it?” You turned to him and he gave you a big smile while also putting another forkful into his mouth.  
“What smells so good?” Dean’s voice sounded before he rounded the corner into the kitchen few minutes later.  
“We made pancakes.” Cas spoke, still smiling and feeling a sense of pride at helping to make them.  
“Awesome! Where’s mine?”  
“You can make your own.” You said as you plated your pancake before moving to sit next to Cas. You adorned your pancake with some sugar and lemon juice before digging in.  
“How come you never make pancakes for us?” Dean pouted.  
“Cas has never had them before. He helped to make them too.”  
“I see you’re getting your priorities right with what food to learn to make.”  
“Damn straight.”  
You finished up your pancake and sat back in your chair a little, looking over to Cas as he looked back at you.  
“You want another?” You asked and he nodded a little, causing you to laugh.  
“Alright, I’ll put another one on for you.”  
Dean was just plating his up and lathering it in Nutella as you put another ladle of batter into the pan for Cas. He really did enjoy them and you ended up having to tell him that he can’t have them for every breakfast unless he wanted to make them himself and you ended up having to make a second bowl of batter. Cas was sat eating what you’d hope would be his last pancake when Dean got your attention.  
“Hey, uh, (y/n). Mind if I talk to you for a minute?” He said, motioning to somewhere out of earshot from Cas.  
“Yeah, sure. I’ll be back in a few, Cas.” You patted the angel on the shoulder as you followed Dean out of the kitchen.  
“What’s up?” You questioned.  
Dean seemed to visibly stiffen as he tried to figure out the best way to phrase what he wanted to say. He shot a glance to Cas who was still sat at the kitchen table.  
“Cas can’t stay.”  
“What?!” You almost yelled.  
“Shh, (y/n).”  
“What the hell are you talking about ‘he can’t stay’?”  
“Well, you know that angel that’s kind of shacking up with Sammy right now?”  
“Yeah, what about it?”  
“He told me last night after Cas went to sleep that he can’t stay or else he will have to leave.”  
“What? Why?”  
“Apparently Cas is like some kind of god damn beacon and that him being here means that Ezekiel is in danger because angels are gonna be lookin’ for him, and if Cas stays then he’s gonna have to leave. Sam still isn’t well enough for him to leave yet.”  
“Why would he be in danger? And Cas is warded so he shouldn’t be a problem.”  
“I said the exact same shit, (y/n), but he was having none of it,” Dean sighed, running a hand through his hair, “I don’t like this any more than you do, (y/n), but I can’t risk my brother dying.”  
You looked over to the former angel as he sat back in his seat, looking around the room.  
You sighed in defeat, “I’ll take him back to my place. I am not leaving him out there on his own, Dean.”  
“He seems to be stuck to you like glue anyway.”  
“Yeah. God dammit, Dean, this is your mess. You can tell him this because I sure as hell ain’t.” You clenched your jaw at him before turning and going back into the kitchen.  
“You finished, Cas?” You asked as you reached him, your hand on his shoulder.  
“Yes, thank you, (y/n).”  
“I had no idea you had such an appetite. Although I probably should have guessed with how you are with burgers.” You smiled, ruffling his hair as you took his plate and washed it. Cas stood next to you and watched as you towelled the plate before placing it back in the cupboard. He found himself smiling at how you had to stand slightly on your toes to reach the cupboard.  
“Alright, I’m gonna go take a shower.” You announced, giving Dean a look as you passed him, letting him know that this is his que to inform Cas. You took probably a lot longer than you needed to before you eventually got out, towelling yourself and getting into some jeans and a tank top. You left the bathroom and headed to your room. As you stepped through the doorway, you saw Cas sat at the end of your bed, his hands in his lap as he watched his fingers. His headed lifted as he heard you come into the room and you guessed by the look in his eyes that Dean had told him.  
“You okay, Cas?” You walked the short distance across the room to sit beside him.  
“Dean has told me that I cannot stay here.”  
“I know, I’m sorry. You won’t be alone though, okay? It’s just here that you can’t stay, you’re coming to stay with me instead.”  
He smiled a little at the thought of still having you around.  
“I’m not going to leave you alone, Cas, I promise.” You pulled him in for a hug which he accepted, his arms wrapping around your waist.  
“We’ll leave tomorrow morning, okay? We don’t have to leave just yet.”  
“Is your home safe?”  
“It’s not as big as the bunker, but it’s just as safe, I made sure.”  
He nodded, his head still hanging a little low. You wanted to hate Dean for doing this to Cas, for throwing him out a home when he most needed it, but you also understood his reasoning for doing so and that Sam’s safety came first. It also wasn’t like Cas didn’t have anywhere to go either as you were taking him in.


	4. Human

Your alarm on your phone went off at 7:30 as you fumbled sleepily, trying to turn it off. You finally managed to turn it off and hadn’t realised that both yourself and Cas had shifted in your sleep. He was now positioned behind you as your back was pressed flush against his front. You felt the warmness of his breath against the back of your neck as he mumbled and shifted awake. You didn’t want to move from this spot – you and Cas entwined under the sheets, cosy and warm, but you had to get on the road soon. You moved a little to the side before rolling onto your back and stretching.   
“Good morning, (y/n).” Cas mumbled. His voice was even deeper than usual as it was laced with sleep.   
“Morning,” you turned and smiled at Cas as you were met with sleepy eyes, “we have to set off fairly soon as we’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”  
“Can we get breakfast?”  
“Of course we can get breakfast.” You laughed before lifting yourself from the bed and padding your way over to your duffle bag to get out some fresh clothes for yourself, also sifting through Cas’ bag of new clothes to get some out for him too. You left him some jeans, a t-shirt, clean boxers and the new pair of shoes.   
“Alright, I’m gonna get changed in the bathroom. I’ve left you your clothes right here to change into.” You said as you grabbed your clothes before making your way into the bathroom. You quickly dressed into a simple pair of jeans, tank top, and your favourite pair of combat boots. You brushed your teeth before moving to the bathroom door.   
“You decent in there?” You asked.   
“Yes.” Cas spoke from the other side of the door and you opened it. You packed everything up and made the room look as decent as possible. You also had to teach Cas how to properly brush his teeth and let him know that you’re not supposed to just eat the toothpaste.   
“Alright, let’s get back to our boys.” You smiled, slinging your duffle over your shoulder and making your way out of the motel room. Cas shut the door behind him as you put the bags into the trunk of your car. You opened the passenger door for Cas, motioning for him to get in as you jogged briskly to the front desk of the motel to hand your key back. Cas was waiting for you in the car as you made your way back, sitting yourself into the driver’s seat.  
“Seatbelt, Cas.” You mentioned as you clicked yours on also. He furrowed his brows at you slightly and you rolled your eyes a little, letting out a small laugh.   
“You need to put your seatbelt on,” you motioned to the strap at his side, leaning over him to grab it, “so in the off chance that we crash then it stops us flying through the window.” Cas gave a small nod in understanding as you clicked his belt into place. You took your phone out of your pocket to send a quick text to Dean, letting him know that you’re setting off. You wanted to get to the bunker as soon as possible, which would be a lot easier if Cas knew how to drive so he could take over for a few hours, but unfortunately he didn’t so you prepared yourself for a very long drive. The two of you stopped off at a small café before the journey properly began to get yourself some breakfast and drinks. You had yourself a coffee to wake yourself up, whereas Cas settled for a hot chocolate. He’d never had any of the options before him but decided on hot chocolate when you thought that would be the most likely option for him to enjoy.  
“You can try coffee and tea at some point when we get home. How do you like hot chocolate?” You asked as you pulled out of the parking lot and started on the road ahead.   
“It is very pleasant. Thank you, (y/n).”  
“No problem, Cas.” You offered him a small smile, keeping your eyes on the road.

The journey was long, as expected, and Cas slept for the most of it. He would either sleep, complain that he was hungry, thirsty, needing the bathroom, or all of the above at once. It was similar to having a child in the car with you, but you didn’t mind so much. He seemed to sleep a little easier in the car and didn’t have any other nightmares like last night – the movement of the car a possible help. You ended up stocking up on a few sandwiches and bottles of water about halfway through the journey to alleviate the amount of stops needed. You’d had way too much coffee, but as it got later in the evening you needed it to keep yourself awake. You would have stopped off at a motel by now, but you were on the last stretch home with only around an hour or so left, so you persevered.

It was a little past 11 when you pulled into the bunker garage. You had text Dean when you were only a few minutes out. Cas was asleep in the seat next to you as you parked the car and both Sam and Dean met you there.   
“Hey, boys.” You smiled as they both pulled you into an embrace. Sam opened the trunk of the car as they both got the couple of bags in there and walked back out of the garage to drop them off in your room. You walked around to the passenger side of the car, opening the door gently before leaning in slightly, your hand on Cas’ shoulder.  
“Cas,” you whispered, “wake up, we’re here.”  
He stirred and grumbled a little as he awoke. He yawned and stretched before his eyes landed on yours, smiling a little.   
“We’re here?”  
“Yeah, we’re home.”  
He took off his seatbelt as you moved out of the way to allow him to get out of the car. He stood, stretching tall, his joints popping lightly.   
“C’mon, Sam and Dean are waiting to see you.” You smiled at him and he suddenly looked a little nervous. You stretched out your hand for him to take to which he hesitated a little before accepting, his hand holding yours as you led him out of the garage and through the bunker.  
“This place is very large.” He observed as the two of you walked through the halls.  
“It’s awesome. We’ll have to give you a full tour tomorrow.”  
“After pancakes.”  
You let out a loud laugh, “yes, after pancakes of course.”  
The two of you walked through the halls before one opened up into the large open space of the library. Sam and Dean were seated there, immediately standing when they saw you enter, Castiel still clinging to your hand and shuffling behind you, still surveying everything around him.  
“Cas…” Dean breathed out and Cas’ eyes finally settled on the brothers.   
“Hey, Cas.” Sam greeted and you could feel the relief radiate from both boys. Cas moved out from behind you, letting go of your hand to greet the brothers back. Dean pulled him into a tight embrace before letting go and allowing Sam to hug him also. The brothers had a million questions they wanted to ask the former angel, but it was late and both thought it best to allow him to rest and leave the questions for tomorrow.  
“Let’s get you set up in a room. You can pick whichever one you want.” You said, putting a hand on Cas’ shoulder. He nodded and followed you out of the library, high on your heels. The transition to mortality must be having a rough effect on Cas, even though he won’t voice it, it’s the little things that he does that show his discomfort. As an angel he would walk tall and proud, knowing the full brunt of his power, but as a human, he has become more sheltered and walks as if every little thing could hurt him; his shoulders slightly hunched over and his hands always together at his front, fiddling with his fingers. He’s constantly looking at everything and everywhere, even though the bunker is possibly the safest place he could be, it seems to be somewhat daunting to him. He stuck very close to you, finding comfort in taking your hand once more as you led him to the bedrooms.  
“Okay, Cas, you can pick whichever one you want. This one is Sam’s, that one is Dean’s,” you motioned to each door as the two of you walked through the hall, “and this one is mine.” You stopped in front of your bedroom door which was a few doors down from the brothers.”  
Cas pondered for a second before he walked to the one right next to yours, opening the door and looking at the room.   
“Do they all look the same?” He questioned.   
“The layouts are all the same, yeah,” you moved to stand next to him so you could also see into the room, “but the great thing about having your own room is that it’s yours and you can put whatever you want in it.”  
He pondered for a moment, casting a few final glances around the room before speaking, “I like this one.”  
“Then it’s all yours.”  
“I have never had anything to call my own.” Cas smiled shyly.   
“This room, as well as the bunker, is as much yours as it is mine and the boys. Welcome home, Cas.”  
He smiled again before turning to you and pulling you in for a hug. The sudden embrace shocked you, but you laughed as you hugged him back. It’s a big deal to finally have something that you can physically call yours. You eventually pulled away, yawning as you did.   
“Okay, I’ve been driving all day and I’m exhausted,” you rubbed at your eyes, stifling another yawn, “I’ll see you in the morning, Cas. If you need anything then you know where our rooms are.”  
“Goodnight, (y/n).” You turned and walked into the room adjacent. You had drank way too much coffee in order to keep yourself awake during the later hours of the journey and the effects were now starting to crash as your eyes felt heavy and your body exhausted. You didn’t bother to unpack your duffle bag and instead decided on leaving as a task for the morning, as you stripped of your clothes and replacing them with just a tank top and your panties. Turning off your bedroom light, you shuffled over to your bed and flopped, snuggling under the duvet before falling asleep in mere minutes. Cas had lingered in the doorway of the bedroom – _his_ bedroom – before he actually moved to the small bag that was left on his bed. It had the sweats and t-shirt he used as pyjamas the night before. Closing his bedroom door, he began to peel off his clothes to get into his pyjamas. He wasn’t yet tired as he slept most of the journey, so once he was in his sweats and shirt, he left the bedroom and made his way back to the library – he only got lost once. He padded into the large open space, taking everything in when the brothers saw him.   
“You alright, Cas?” Dean questioned and Cas’ gaze turned to the elder hunter.   
“I suppose.”  
“Where’s (y/n)?”  
“She has gone to bed as she did all of the driving today. I’m not yet tired.”  
Dean pulled a chair out next to him, “take a seat then.”  
Cas shuffled forwards, sitting down and tucking his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. It hadn’t passed either of the brothers judgment either that the former angel was a lot more reserved now, even during the small amount of time they have spent with each other today. They didn’t miss how he was constantly looking at all of his surroundings, his body movements more curving in towards himself as if trying to make himself look as small as possible.  
“So,” Sam began, “how is it being human?”  
“It is…confusing.”  
“How so?”  
“If I am not hungry then I am thirsty, and if I am not thirsty then I am tired, and if I am not tired then I require the bathroom. There is always something that needs attending to and it is exhausting. I feel…I feel pain,” he sighed, looking down slightly, “I feel so many emotions all at once and I have no idea how to deal with them or why I feel them.”  
The brothers listened intently as Cas spoke, feeling a sort of sadness as he described how being human had been so far for him.   
“When I arrived here,” Cas continued, “I felt nervous, but also excited. When (y/n) told me that I had my own room I felt…pride…and also sadness. I have never had a physical thing to call my own before.”  
The brothers were unsure of how to comfort the former angel. Dean himself had never been one for ‘chick-flick moments’, so he gave the best comfort he could, which was to place a reassuring hand on Cas’ shoulder.   
“What’s ours is yours, Cas. You’re family.” Sam spoke, offering him a small smile.   
“Thank you, I appreciate it,” he sighed once more, his arms unravelling from around his legs as he placed his feet on the floor, “I think I am going to go to bed now.”  
“If you need anything then don’t be afraid to ask us.”  
“Thank you.”  
He then turned and left the library once more, heading back to his bedroom. He definitely liked it here and could get used to it.

A few knocks on your bedroom door pulled you from your sleep.   
“What is it?” You mumbled.   
“It’s Cas.” A soft voice sounded from the other side of the door.   
“Come in, Cas.”  
The door slowly creeped open and Cas shuffled awkwardly in the doorway.   
“What’s wrong?” You asked, leaning up on your elbows to look at him.   
“I, uh, I had another nightmare.”  
“Come here.” You moved the duvet aside, patting the space next to you. He closed the door behind him before shuffling over to your bed and climbing in next to you. You opened your arms to him and he took the invitation, cuddling up close to you as he had the night before. In your sleepy state, you hadn’t remembered that you were in just your underwear and a tank top, but the priority of comforting Cas was what mattered most right now, so you paid it no mind.  
“Do you have them every night, Cas?” You stroked at his hair.   
“Most nights, yes, but I find being with you a comfort.”  
“Well, I’m not going anywhere.” You smiled when he hugged you a little tighter. You don’t know what spurred you on to do what you did next, but you tilted your head down a little to press a kiss to the top of his head. You panicked for a moment, thinking you might have overstepped a boundary, but he didn’t seem to protest to the action, so you played it off. The two of you soon fell asleep, both soothed by the sounds of each other’s breathing and Cas by the slow, steady rhythm of your heart.


End file.
